Human Rights Day: Apartheid-defiant Gerrie Coetzee was SA’s human rights world champ

Human Rights Day serves to remind us of the inspiring contributions of sporting heroes like boxer Gerrie Coetzee in uniting South Africans and promoting social cohesion as a means of dismantling the walls of segregation in South African sport. 

Currently, South Africa pauses to reflect on the importance of Human Rights Day. It is fitting to explore the profound impact that sport has had on uniting this diverse nation.

From the cherished memories of the 1995 Rugby World Cup to the inspiring stories of individual athletes such as Coetzee, ‘The Boksburg Bomber’, who was internationally acclaimed for criticising apartheid.

He earned the respect from icons like Nelson Mandela and Muhammad Ali for various acts of defiance during the era of racial segregation.

South Africa’s democratically elected post-apartheid government awarded Coetzee The Order of Ikhamanga for his contribution to nation-building through sport.

Ali, the great American world champion boxer and social activist, declared: “Gerrie is a special human being”.

At one of his world title bouts, Ali surprised everyone by allowing Coetzee into his dressing room while he was warming up.

Ali later said he was touched when he heard about black boxing fans supporting Coetzee in South Africa at the height of apartheid. It was unheard of for black people to support a white boxer.

The significance of Coetzee cannot be overstated. He challenged the norm, breaking down walls built over decades of segregation.

In doing so, he gave South Africans valuable lessons in resilience, unity and the power of the human spirit. His efforts resonate today as South Africa continues to navigate its journey towards equality and social justice.

In the 1980s, Coetzee agreed to train a young black fighter and invited him to stay with him in his home, defying apartheid laws.

This landed him in trouble with the police, who made unscheduled visits to his home to find out where the young man was sleeping and bathing. At one stage, he was hauled before the court of law, but the case was dismissed.

He appointed a South African man of Indian heritage, Farook Khan, to be his media spokesman, which also angered the apartheid government.

Khan, who at one stage worked for Independent Media newspapers Daily News and The Post, travelled abroad with Ali for international bouts.

He also angered the police by allowing Khan to sleep over at his Boksburg home when they needed to work on boxing matters.

One of the landmarks of Coetzee’s fight to break down apartheid barriers was his fight against American ‘Big’ John Tate for the vacant WBA heavyweight title at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, the home of the Blue Bulls rugby team, on October 20, 1979.

This was at the height of the apartheid era, and the government granted a permit for black patrons to attend. This marked the first time that blacks and whites attended a sports event together in apartheid South Africa.

One American journalist covering the event wrote at the time: “This was the first time black South Africans were allowed into Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria’s temple of white sport, for anything other than cleaning the stands or tending the grass. They were among 81,000 mostly white spectators.

“After the bout, everyone went home – whites to the suburbs, blacks to the townships.”

The SABC, the national broadcaster, decided not to show the bout because it opposed the change of the apartheid laws to allow blacks and whites to sit together. However, the fight was finally televised in South Africa three or four days later.

The match was of such national importance that hardliner Prime Minister PW Botha, nicknamed ‘Die Groot Krokodil’ due to his tough political stance, his entire cabinet and 1,000 police officers attended.

Coetzee’s crowning moment dawned on September 23, 1983 at the Richfield Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio, where Coetzee knocked out Michael Dokes in the 10th round to become the first African to win the world heavyweight title.

Coetzee passed away on January 12, 2023 at the age of 67 after a battle with cancer.

Human Rights Day, observed on March 21, honours the struggles endured during the apartheid era, and is a reminder of inspiring sports heroes who fought against inequality.